Get Apple Music on iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows

EDITORS’ NOTES

Irish troubadour Damien Rice came out of virtually nowhere in 2003 with a debut album O that stunned listening audiences and discerning critics with its moody melodicism and earnest poetry. His long-awaited follow-up 9 is another melodically strong, romantically hypnotic collection, its only sin being its inability to be the out-of-left-field surprise of the debut. You can only jump out of the box once, after all. Rice stays true to his muse throughout, resisting the temptation to use his newfound celebrity as a soapbox or a launching pad for a grab at a diverse, mainstream audience. His pulse quickens for the greater noise of "Me, My Yoke & I," but these are primarily quiet, reflective tunes that prefer whispers to screams, recorded on a "home studio" in various locations. He recalls the "living room" intimacy of Joni Mitchell's piano-based early '70s work. Rice gently plucks his acoustic guitar, lightly tinkles the piano, and harmonizes with an unrushed casual demeanor that demands the listener slow down and lean forward. Even the gentle orchestration behind "Gray Room" is kept small and intimate. But listen closely to "Dogs" or "Accidental Babies" and revel in the simple elegant aura.

EDITORS’ NOTES

Irish troubadour Damien Rice came out of virtually nowhere in 2003 with a debut album O that stunned listening audiences and discerning critics with its moody melodicism and earnest poetry. His long-awaited follow-up 9 is another melodically strong, romantically hypnotic collection, its only sin being its inability to be the out-of-left-field surprise of the debut. You can only jump out of the box once, after all. Rice stays true to his muse throughout, resisting the temptation to use his newfound celebrity as a soapbox or a launching pad for a grab at a diverse, mainstream audience. His pulse quickens for the greater noise of "Me, My Yoke & I," but these are primarily quiet, reflective tunes that prefer whispers to screams, recorded on a "home studio" in various locations. He recalls the "living room" intimacy of Joni Mitchell's piano-based early '70s work. Rice gently plucks his acoustic guitar, lightly tinkles the piano, and harmonizes with an unrushed casual demeanor that demands the listener slow down and lean forward. Even the gentle orchestration behind "Gray Room" is kept small and intimate. But listen closely to "Dogs" or "Accidental Babies" and revel in the simple elegant aura.

TITLE

TIME

9 Crimes

3:37

The Animals Were Gone

5:41

Elephant

5:56

Rootless Tree

4:22

Dogs

4:10

Coconut Skins

3:45

Me, My Yoke and I

5:57

Grey Room

5:43

Accidental Babies

6:33

Sleep Don't Weep

21:54

9 Crimes (Demo)

3:11

11 Songs, 1 Hour 10 Minutes

Released: Nov 3, 2006

℗ 2006 Damien Rice, under exclusive license to Vector Recordings/Warner Bros. Records Inc. in the U.S. and Canada.

About Damien Rice

Irish alternative singer/songwriter Damien Rice launched his music career in the late '90s with the hard-hitting indie rock outfit Juniper. The group signed to Polygram in 1997 and released two singles, "The World Is Dead" and "Weathermen," which did moderately well on Irish radio. When it came time to record a full-length album, however, contractual rules from the label prevented Juniper from doing so, and Rice split.

After a brief respite in Europe, Rice returned to Dublin to focus on music once again, scrounging up enough money to record a demo. He sent it to producer/film composer David Arnold (Björk, Nina Persson, Paul Oakenfold), and Arnold loved it so much, he set up a mobile studio for Rice to make a record. His first single, "The Blower's Daughter," was a Top 20 hit when it appeared in fall 2001, and Rice released his debut album O early the following year. The album soon spread across the United Kingdom, hitting Top Ten on the British charts and earning four-times platinum status. Rice hit the states in 2003, earning himself a dedicated group of American fans in addition to his European ones. After issuing a collection of B-sides in 2005, the Irishman released his sophomore record, 9, at the end of 2006. The album hit number one in Ireland, top five in Great Britain, and became his first record to reach the Top 40 in the U.S. After heavy touring, including an appearance at Glastonbury and a support slot for Leonard Cohen in Dublin in 2008, Rice pulled back a bit. Finally, in 2014, he announced a small show at the 25th Anniversary celebrations of Whelan's, a venue in the Irish capital. His third album, My Favourite Faded Fantasy, was produced by legendary American producer Rick Rubin, and released in November 2014. The album again reached number one on the Irish charts, and did well across Europe. ~ MacKenzie Wilson